With St Patrick’s Day almost upon us we felt it fitting to write about our favorite thing…gold. We all know around this time of year images of green clad leprechauns, shamrocks and pots of gold appear on social media and elsewhere.
We researched to see what the story is behind this Pot O Gold legend. Hey, maybe we might even find one to refine…
The Bronze Age period in Ireland dates from 2500 BC, when copper and gold were being mined and smelted. Copper was used for utensils, tools, weaponry and other applications and gold was used for adornment, musical instruments and jewelry.
Over the years these artifacts were hoarded and used in ancient times for offerings to a god, or hidden in times of war. Many times the items were placed in burial tombs or buried underground, time passed and they were forgotten about or their whereabouts could not be recalled through the generations.
It became a quest for some to find these hidden fortunes. That’s where the leprechaun comes in. The Leprechaun is thought to be the protector of the gold. They live in the underground caves because it is the only safe place- too small for humans and perfect for a 2-3 foot tall “wee folk”. It is said that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold, hidden deep in the Irish countryside. We’re thinking …after years of searching maybe it made people feel better that at least someone was protecting all of that missing loot- it kept the dream of finding it alive.
Sources: Hoards in the Irish Copper and Bronze Ages by Dr. Charles Mount, YourIrish.com
